The Technomancer

The Technomancer, a 2016 Action RPG, presents a demanding workload that stresses both processor and graphics hardware. This analysis examines the measured performance of the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 across three resolutions and four quality presets. The data provides a clear picture of where this combination excels and where its limitations surface, particularly at higher resolutions and extreme settings.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play The Technomancer with this hardware?

A: Based on the measured frames per second, 1920x1080 offers the most comfortable experience, with average frame rates ranging from 86 FPS at Ultra settings to 169 FPS at Low settings. At 2560x1440, the average frame rate drops to between 56 FPS (Ultra) and 110 FPS (Low), which is still playable. At 3840x2160, only the Low preset achieves an average above 60 FPS, hitting 61 FPS, while Ultra drops to 31 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 4060's 8 GB of VRAM affect performance?

A: The FACT PACK lists the GPU as having 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus with 272.0 GB/s bandwidth. The measured results show a significant performance drop at 3840x2160 Ultra, where the average frame rate falls to 31 FPS. While the data does not explicitly state a VRAM capacity limit, the steep decline at 4K Ultra suggests the memory configuration and bandwidth are insufficient for the highest demands of this game at that resolution.

Q: Is the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 a bottleneck for the RTX 4060 in this game?

A: The CPU has 10 cores and 10 threads, with a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz. Its benchmark scores are strong, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 25891 and a single-core score of 3655. The measured frame rate scaling from 1080p to 1440p and then to 4K shows a steady decline, which typically indicates the GPU becomes the limiting factor at higher resolutions. The CPU appears capable of feeding the GPU, as frame rates do not collapse at lower resolutions where CPU load is higher.

Q: What is the combo's ranking among all tested systems for this game?

A: This specific combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 ranks 1497 out of 2825 tested combos for The Technomancer. This places it in the middle of the pack, indicating that while it is not a top-tier performer, it is also not near the bottom.

Q: Which settings preset provides the most balanced experience at 2560x1440?

A: At 2560x1440, the Medium preset delivers an average of 85 FPS, with a minimum of 72 FPS and a maximum of 97 FPS. This is a significant jump from the High preset's 72 FPS average, while the Ultra preset drops to 56 FPS. The Medium preset appears to be the sweet spot for a smooth experience at this resolution.

Q: How does the RTX 4060 compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The GPU's average benchmark score is 17639. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon HD 7790, has an average score of 17666, which is 0.2% higher. The AMD Radeon 780M scores 17588, which is 0.3% lower. The performance differences are minimal, placing the RTX 4060 in a very tight competitive cluster based on these specific metrics.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture and features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory. Its memory operates at 2125 MHz, with an effective data rate of 17 Gbps, and is accessed via a 128-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 272.0 GB/s. The GPU's boost clock is rated at 2460 MHz, and it contains 3072 shading units, 96 texture mapping units, and 48 raster operation pipelines.

In The Technomancer, the GPU's role is clearly demonstrated by the measured frame rates. At 1920x1080, the GPU is able to produce high frame rates, with an average of 169 FPS at Low settings. This suggests the GPU is not the primary constraint at this resolution. However, as resolution increases to 2560x1440 and then 3840x2160, the average frame rates drop substantially. At 4K Ultra, the average frame rate falls to just 31 FPS. This pattern indicates that the GPU's rendering capabilities, particularly its memory bandwidth and 8 GB VRAM capacity, become the limiting factor as the pixel workload grows. The data shows a clear correlation between resolution, settings, and GPU-bound performance.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data for this combination reveals a clear hierarchy of performance across the four presets at each resolution. For the best experience, the choice of preset depends heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate.

At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset still delivers an average of 86 FPS, which is playable for most users. However, the High preset offers a significant jump to 111 FPS, and the Medium preset reaches 130 FPS. For those with high refresh rate monitors, the Low preset at 169 FPS is the only option that approaches that level. The data suggests that at 1080p, the High or Medium presets provide the best balance of visual quality and performance, as the jump from Medium to High costs 19 FPS on average, while the jump from High to Ultra costs 25 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset provides an average of 85 FPS, with a minimum of 72 FPS. This is the only preset at this resolution that maintains an average above 80 FPS. The High preset drops to 72 FPS, and Ultra falls to 56 FPS. The Low preset, at 110 FPS, is the only one that guarantees a very high frame rate, but it sacrifices visual fidelity. Therefore, the Medium preset is the recommended choice for 1440p, as it offers a substantial improvement over High while remaining smooth.

At 3840x2160, the situation is more constrained. The Low preset averages 61 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The Medium preset drops to 47 FPS, and High to 40 FPS. The Ultra preset averages only 31 FPS, which is not a pleasant experience for an Action RPG. The data indicates that the Low preset is the only viable option for 4K gaming with this hardware, and even then, it is right at the edge of playability.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rate data provides a comprehensive view of performance across all tested configurations.

At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves an average of 169 FPS. The Medium preset averages 130 FPS, with a minimum of 110 FPS and a maximum of 149 FPS. The High preset averages 111 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 86 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a steady decline, with the most significant drop occurring between Medium and High (19 FPS) and between High and Ultra (25 FPS).

At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 110 FPS. The Medium preset averages 85 FPS, with a minimum of 72 FPS and a maximum of 97 FPS. The High preset averages 72 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 56 FPS. The difference between Medium and High is 13 FPS, while the difference between High and Ultra is 16 FPS. The minimum frame rate for Medium (72 FPS) is notably higher than the average for High (72 FPS), indicating that Medium provides a more consistent experience.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 61 FPS. The Medium preset averages 47 FPS, with a minimum of 40 FPS and a maximum of 53 FPS. The High preset averages 40 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 31 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium is 14 FPS, while the gap between Medium and High is 7 FPS, and between High and Ultra is 9 FPS. The minimum frame rate for Medium is 40 FPS, which matches the average for High, suggesting that High preset performance is not consistent.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 combination holds a rank of 1497 out of 2825 tested combos for The Technomancer. This places it in the 53rd percentile of all tested systems, meaning it outperforms slightly more than half of the configurations in the database.

This mid-pack ranking is consistent with the measured frame rates. At 1080p, the combo delivers high frame rates that would satisfy most gamers, but it is not among the top performers that might exceed 200 FPS. At 1440p, it remains competitive, but the Ultra preset drops below 60 FPS, which is a common threshold for high-end systems. At 4K, the combo struggles to maintain playable frame rates on anything other than Low settings, which is typical for mid-range hardware.

The CPU's individual rank is strong, with a percentile of 85 against all CPUs. Its average benchmark score of 36938 is nearly identical to its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F, which scores 36945, a 0% difference. The GPU, however, has a percentile of 61 against all GPUs, with an average score of 17639. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon HD 7790, scores 17666, a 0.2% difference. The GPU's lower percentile relative to the CPU suggests that the graphics card is the more limiting component in this pairing for this specific game.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 is a 10-core, 10-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture. It has a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz. The CPU's cache configuration includes 192 KB of L1 per core, 3 MB of L2 per core, and a shared 20 MB L3 cache. It supports DDR5 memory on a dual-channel bus, providing a theoretical bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s.

In The Technomancer, the CPU's role is evident when examining the frame rate scaling across resolutions. At 1920x1080, the CPU is able to feed the GPU sufficiently to achieve an average of 169 FPS at Low settings. This high frame rate indicates that the CPU is not a bottleneck at this resolution, as the GPU is able to render frames quickly. As the resolution increases to 2560x1440 and then to 3840x2160, the average frame rates drop significantly, which is expected as the GPU's workload increases.

The CPU's benchmark performance supports this interpretation. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 25891 and single-core score of 3655 are strong figures, placing it in the 85th percentile of all CPUs. Its PassMark single-thread score of 4412 is also robust. These scores suggest that the CPU has ample processing power for game logic and physics. The measured frame rates, particularly the high values at 1080p Low, confirm that the CPU is not the primary limiter in this combination. The data points to the GPU being the dominant factor in determining performance, especially at higher resolutions and settings.

Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rates show a clear pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. This scaling provides insight into which component is limiting performance.

For the Low preset, the average frame rate drops from 169 FPS at 1080p to 110 FPS at 1440p, a reduction of 59 FPS or 35%. Moving from 1440p to 4K, the frame rate drops from 110 FPS to 61 FPS, a reduction of 49 FPS or 45%. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K is 64%.

For the Medium preset, the average frame rate drops from 130 FPS at 1080p to 85 FPS at 1440p, a reduction of 45 FPS or 35%. From 1440p to 4K, it drops from 85 FPS to 47 FPS, a reduction of 38 FPS or 45%. The total drop from 1080p to 4K is 64%.

For the High preset, the average frame rate drops from 111 FPS at 1080p to 72 FPS at 1440p, a reduction of 39 FPS or 35%. From 1440p to 4K, it drops from 72 FPS to 40 FPS, a reduction of 32 FPS or 44%. The total drop from 1080p to 4K is 64%.

For the Ultra preset, the average frame rate drops from 86 FPS at 1080p to 56 FPS at 1440p, a reduction of 30 FPS or 35%. From 1440p to 4K, it drops from 56 FPS to 31 FPS, a reduction of 25 FPS or 45%. The total drop from 1080p to 4K is 64%.

The consistent 35% drop from 1080p to 1440p and the 45% drop from 1440p to 4K across all presets indicate that the scaling is primarily driven by the GPU. The pixel count increases by 2.25 times from 1080p to 1440p, and by 2.25 times again from 1440p to 4K. The frame rate drops are roughly proportional to this increase, though slightly less than linear, which is typical for GPU-bound scenarios. The CPU's role remains constant across resolutions, so the proportional drops confirm that the RTX 4060 is the limiting component. The 8 GB VRAM and 272.0 GB/s bandwidth are likely the key factors, as the demands of 4K textures and shading exceed what this GPU can efficiently handle.